Display pack-mixing tray



Sept 5, 1967 A. B. LANDAU 3339,?13

SSSSSSSSSSSS T, 1

BY NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NE A. B. LANDAU Sept. 5, 1967 April 19, 1966 FIG ALBERT B. LNDU GAN,

FINNEGN, DURHM 8 PINE ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,339,713 DISPLAY PACK-MIXING TRAY Albert B. Landau, 511 Lafayette Blvd., Long Beach, N.Y. 11561 Filed Apr. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 543,562 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-1.9)

This invention relates to a Structure serving both as an etfective and attractive display package component and as a self-contained, unitary mixing and application tray.

Packaging and display structures employing compartmented transparent shells or blisters attached to a backing of cardboard or the like are widely employed for packaging and displaying a wide range of objects. This technique is employed, for example, in the merchandising of paint sets consisting of jars of paint used for painting scale models, for touching up, and for related purposes. In the case of such paint sets, external means such as a tray or the like must be employed in the .actual application of the paint where the colors are to be mixed.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to eliminate the need for such accessories by providing a packaging anddisplay str-ucture which is particularly configured and constructed to serve as a tray for the mixing and application of the commodities while preserving -at the same time the features which make the Structure efective as a package and display arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a Structure which also serves as .a display package and holder for paint brushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package and display Structure with compartmenting and a configuration enabling it to serve as a stable and eflicient tray for holding and mixing dispensed compositions.

Other objects of the invention include the provison of such a Structure which is of unitary and integral construction, which is inexpensive and susceptible to mass production, and which is capable of repeated use. A further object of the invention is to provide such a structure which performs its functions as a mixing and storing tray independent of the backing Structure used during the packaging and display function.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter or in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention the same being realized and -attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists of the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

Serving to illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention as applied to paint sets are the drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the arrangement in its display and packaging mode;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the blister compartment configured to serve as a paint tray and brush holder; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation view partly in section of the display and packaging Structure of FIGURE 1.

The exemplary embodiment of vthe invention illustrated in the figures includes a backing which may be of any convenient shape and which bears the usual advertising in'dicia, and a unitary or integral compartmented struct-ure 11, preferably made of a transparent plastic which will not react with the paint mixtures. The compartmented Structure 11 includes a plurality of compartments 12 adapted to store and display jars of paint 20. The shape of the compartment is designed to accommodate the particular shape and size of the jar or the container.

3,339,713 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 ICC Also included is a compartment 13 adapted to hold paint brushes.

The blister Structure 11 may be formed by any one of many well known processes, -for example, by vacuum forming, and is Secured to the backing 10 as shown by any suitable means which may comprise, for example, an adhesive. Flange 14 is configured to facilitate this attachment. The attachment means are designed for the ready separation of the compartmented Structure 11 from the backing 10 Without damaging the former.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2, the compartments 12 are illustratively formed in 4a side-by-side relationship and have partitions 15 therebetween. These partitions, together with the ends of the cylinders formed by surfaces 16 and 17 define individual compartments 18 particularly adapted to hold paint dispensed from the jars 20. The

arrangement of the compartment outer walls in a common plane permits the stable positioning of the tray 11 to facilitate both the mixing and application of the paint.

In addition to serving as a packaging device, the recess 13 in flange portion 14 of the compartmented Structure 11 functions as a convenient brush holder When the tray 11 is being used for mixing and applying paints.

For merchandising, the jars of various colored paints 20 are loaded in the compartment 12 of the blister pack 11 and the pack Secured to the backing 10. The partitions or common walls 15, together with the general shape of compartments 12, serve to restrain the jars of paint against such movements as might cause them to impact one another and possibly break during shipment.

After purchase, the user remo-ves tray 11 from backing 10 and lays it on a flat surface with the openings for each compartment 12 facing upwardly as shown. Paint may then be removed from the jars and mixed in the various compartments or used without mixing therein, the shape of the tray being such that the tray remains stably in position during these Operations.

After use, the residual paint may be removed and the tray washed -for use .at a later time.

It may be seen that a plurality of useful functions are derived from the same Structure. Besides serving as a package and as a display .arrangement, the Structure according to the invention provides a Simple, inexpensive and efiicient paint tray.

In the course of studying and Practicing the invention, modifications will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. The invention is thus not limited to the specfic Structure shown, but departures may be made therefrom within the Scope of the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined package, display, and non-deformable tray assembly for Shipping, displaying and using sets of materials such as paints and the like without intermixing thereof comprisng a plurality of individual contaners of material, and container envelopingmeans in releasable engagement, said contaners comprisng a "backing and a transparent, non-deformable tray having the perimetral edge of one face thereof Secured to said backing in releasable engagement therewith, said tray having means on the opposite, outside face thereof forming a stable, horizontal base thereon whereby said tray, when released from said backing, may be placed down on a support and used .as a paint tray, s-aid tray having a plurality of liquidtight, non-deforrnable wall members equally spaced from one another and extending in the direction of said backing in substantially right-angled relationship thereto and forming a plurality of substantially equal-sized compartments therein receiving and retaining said individual containers of paint and the like in separate relationship from one another thereby positioning said contaners in fixed relationship during shipment and display, said compartments being liquid-tight and non-deformable whereby said compartments may be used as mixing and dispensing wells for loose liquid When said tray is separated from said backing and used as a paint tray, said wall members having -dimensions of sufiicient magnitude such that the containers formed thereby each have a depth operable to store a s-ubstantial quantity of said material in loose form during use thereof as a tray, said dimensions also being of sufiicient magnitude to prevent spill-over from one compartment to another during said use as a tray.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said transparent tray comprises a unitary plastic Structure.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 in which the opposite outside face of said trays forms said stable base means.

4. iAn assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said tray is formed of a material inert to the materials being mixed whereby said materials may be readily removed for repeated use of said tray.

5. An assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,985,296 5/1961 Kahn.

FOREIGN PATENTS 892,640 3/19612 Great Britain. 951,214 3/1964 Great Britain. 959,971 6/ 1964 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Exam'iner.

20 J. M. CASKIE, Assstant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINED PACKAGE, DISPLAY, AND A NON-DEFORMABLE TRAY ASSEMBLY FOR SHIPPING, DISPLAYING AND USING SETS OF MATERIALS SUCH AS PAINTS AND THE LIKE WITHOUT INTERMIXING THEREOF COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS OF MATERIAL, AND CONTAINER ENVELOPING MEANS IN RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT, SAID CONTAINERS COMPRISING A BACKING AND A TRANSPARENT, NON-DEFORMABLE TRAY HAVING THE PERIMETRAL EDGE OF ONE FACE THEREOF SECURED TO SAID BACKING IN RELEASABLE ENGAGMENT THEREWITH, SAID TRAY HAVING MEANS ON THE OPPOSITE, OUTSIDE FACE THEREOF FORMING A STABLE, HORIZONTAL BASE THEREON WHEREBY SAID TRAY, WHEN RELEASED FROM SAID BACKING, MAY BE PLACED DOWN ON A SUPPORT AND USED AS A PAINT TRAY, SAID TRAY HAVING A PLURALITY OF LIQUIDTIGHT, NON-DEFORMABLE WALL MEMBERS EQUALLY SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID BACKING IN SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT-ANGLED RELATIONSHIP THERETO AND FORMING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL-SIZED COMPARTMENTS THEREIN RECEIVING AND RETAINING SAID INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS OF PAINT AND THE LIKE IN SEPARATE RELATIONSHIP FROM ONE ANOTHER THEREBY POSITIONING SAID CONTAINERS IN FIXED RELATIONSHIP DURING SHIPMENT AND DISPLAY, SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING LIQUID-TIGHT AND NON-DEFORMABLE WHEREBY SAID COMPARTMENTS MAY BE USED AS MIXING AND DISPENSING WELLS FOR LOOSE LIQUID WHEN SAID TRAY IS SEPARATED FROM SAID BACKING AND USE AS A PAINT TRAY, SAID WALL MEMBERS HAVING DIMENSIONS OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE SUCH THAT THE CONTAINERS FORMED THEREBY EACH HAVE A DEPTH OPERABLE TO STORE A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF SAID MATERIAL IN LOOSE FORM DURING USE THEREOF AS A TRAY, SAID DIMENSIONS ALSO BEING OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO PREVENT SPILL-OVER FROM ONE COMPARTMENT TO ANOTHER DURING SAID USE AS A TRAY. 